Ralph Edward Duffitt, age 78 and a lifelong resident of Elwood, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.  He was born Jan. 13, 1946 in Elwood, the son of John and Mildred (McFall) Duffitt, Sr.  Ralph graduated from Wendell L. Willkie High School in 1964.  After high school he entered the workforce.  He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965, serving in Vietnam War until 1967.  In 1969, he met his sweetheart, Janice Caroll Hardwick, and they married in Elwood on November 15, 1970 and shared 54 years together in marriage.  Ralph worked in production at Chrysler Corporation in Kokomo for 30 years and retired in 1998.  He then delivered pizza for Papa John's in Elwood from 1998 to 2012 and enjoyed interacting with customers.

Ralph was a devoted member of Main Street Wesleyan Church in Elwood where he formerly served on the church board.  He was also a member of the United Auto Workers Union #685 in Kokomo.  He enjoyed bowling; watching several sports including the Colts, Reds, and Cubs; coaching his kids' sport's teams for many years; and listening to Beach Boys music.  Ralph especially enjoyed entering contests of all kinds, and he won several nice prizes through the years.  He will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who cherished his family.

Ralph's family includes his wife, Janice Duffitt of Elwood; 3 children, Scott (Nila) Duffitt of Columbia City, Shawna Mills (Walt Cerrato) of Titusville, FL, and Amber (Ryan) Jones of McCordsville; 2 grandchildren, Alexis Mills and Kaden Mills both of Titusville; sister, Bonnie Scott of Elwood; sister-in-law, Connie Duffitt of Kokomo; and several nieces and nephews.  Ralph was preceded in death by his parents; siblings, John "Sonny" Duffitt, Jr., Mary Teague (and husband Dave), and Randy Duffitt; brother-in-law, Bill Scott; and in-laws, Mitchell and Geneva Hardwick.

A funeral service celebrating Ralph's life and legacy will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024 at Copher-Fesler-May Funeral Home with Rev. Tim Becker of Main Street Wesleyan Church officiating.  Burial will follow in the Elwood City Cemetery and will include military honors by the U.S. Army and Elwood V.F.W. honor guard.  Visitation for family and friends will be held from 11 am to 1 pm prior to the funeral on Saturday at Copher-Fesler-May.  Memorial contributions are suggested to Main Street Wesleyan Church.  Online condolences and memories may be shared at copherfeslermay.com.